How to stop careless reading mistakes in LR + reading stimuli in the same way as in RC?

Comments

• Alex Alum Member ⭐

  July 2017 23929 karma

  @lsnnnnn0011 said:
  One of the biggest issues I have is not reading the sentences in the stimuli carefully...
  Do you have any suggestions to prevent such mistakes besides underlining?

  Also, I found paraphrasing/re-wording what I just read in my own words before moving on to the next sentence is incredibly helpful to comprehend the RC passages. For those who have mastered LR, how do you read the stimuli? do you think paraphrasing would be helpful in LR as well or do you think such step is unnecessary in LR?

  Thanks everyone!

  I think it might just be a bad habit you have of not reading carefully. It was a big problem I had because during undergrad I skimmed when I read most things. The LSAT was the first time aside from a few philosophy courses where I had to get into the habit of just simply reading carefully. I don't really have any good strategy for doing it. Just try to be more cognizant while reading the stimuli.

  Sometimes I re-word/paraphrase certain questions in my head. I find that sometimes I can more easily and intuitively solve certain questions if I do this. If they're straightforward enough, then usually not though.
• 3 Likes

  TheMikey Alum Member

  July 2017 edited July 2017 4196 karma

  I used to read a bit carelessly in LR, but tbh what worked for me was reading the stimulus slightly slower. If there are keywords, I typically circle them since you have to be extra careful with them (most, only, only if, some...and so on..) Also referring to keywords in NA and SA questions is the two ideas I know I'll have to link up, which I typically circle like the main word of each idea or something.
• 10 Likes

  Chris Nguyen Alum Member Administrator Sage ⭐ 7Sage Tutor

  July 2020 edited July 2020 4598 karma

  It sounds counterintuitive, but reading slower to make sure you process everything actually saves time on the LSAT. When you read fast, which on the LSAT, some are inclined to do so because of the time limit, your brain is less likely to process the complex grammar structure that the LSAT always employs. This can cause you to reread multiple times, wasting even more time than if you just slowed down and read the sentence carefully the first time.

  Plus, when you have a better grasp of the stimulus, you also have a higher confidence in the answers you choose, allowing you to make better decisions regarding your time management.